


Moonlight Sonata

by fabricdragon



Series: How Moriarty Met Moran [6]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: 4 prompt challenge, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Crossdressing, Drunken Shenanigans, First Meetings, Internalized Homophobia, Kink Negotiation, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Post-Reichenbach, challenge 3, mormor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-01 23:09:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13305309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fabricdragon/pseuds/fabricdragon
Summary: How Jim Moriarty met Sebastian Moran.Prompts by Mickie: drunk Jim, deadly sniper Seb, a masked ball , Monitor.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mickie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mickie/gifts).



Sebastian Moran, until recently Colonel Moran, was glaring at his reflection in the mirror.  The damned event was a masque, no one admitted without appropriate attire, so here he was trying to dress in costume and still look… competent.

It had taken him months to get an invitation to one of the Contessa’s parties– the best place to make desperately needed contacts for mercenary work– and NATURALLY it had to be one where  they were doing this costume idiocy.

 _Not that I can afford to turn it down_ , Sebastian sighed and adjusted his clothing.  He had taken a great deal of care in choosing this outfit: something that could have looked like a Maharaja’s fantasy outfit, except it was in the colors of a tiger, with a stylized tiger mask. The Contessa was known to favor those who made an effort to work with whatever theme she had chosen: any contact at her parties was likely to be a good one, but her personal referral was gold.

-

She’d approved of his outfit, but damn the competition was stiff!  A few people here and there were sulking, their outfits clearly not up to  the Contessa’s standards, but everyone else?

“Figures everyone else has more money to throw at it.” Sebastian grumbled as he sipped at the (excellent, really) scotch.

“Oh, I don’t know… money can’t buy taste.” A rich contralto voice made him turn to look…and raise his eyebrow appreciatively, not that you could see it behind the mask. 

She was dressed in a gown half in black, and half in silver, with a matching mask of black veiled in silver and crystal beads- on a second look the black seemed to be almost bleeding into the silver, or the silver into the black.

“Your outfit certainly does catch the eye…” Sebastian was known for his charm, when he bothered, and this… had his attention.

“Moonlight at midnight,” She chuckled, “and you, sir are a Rakshasha.” Her voice had a faint accent that Sebastian couldn’t place, and an ever so faint slur, as though she’d had a few drinks already.

Sebastian smiled behind his mask, “Not many people got it, even as obvious as I thought it was.”

“So… are you here to gain someone’s trust and kill them?”

“Maybe I’m here to devour unsuspecting young ladies…”

“I’m not unsuspecting, I’m not young, and I’m not a lady… but I wouldn’t mind being devoured.”

“Sebastian Moran, late  of her Majesty’s Armed Forces.” Sebastian said with a bow, and extended his hand.

“Oooohhh….” Her voice slid down into a near purr as she took his hand, “YOU’RE the one the Contessa wanted me to meet? How utterly lovely…”

Sebastian grabbed two drinks from a passing waiter and handed one off–he was beginning to suspect that  ‘she’ had been quite literal when saying ‘I’m not a lady’: that voice had deepened just a hair too far…

“If you’re cross dressing… you win.  You had me fooled.” Sebastian looked  ‘her’ over again–flawlessly female, but the costume dress would conceal a lot…

A pair of dark eyes looked up at him from behind the mask, “As I said, I’m not a lady… but I definitely wouldn’t mind being devoured…”

Sebastian began to wonder if he’d completely lost his mind, or if he was just  lonely enough to be desperate, because he was actually considering it. He must have paused  for a bit too long because he found an arm slipping through his.

“Come along, Tiger, if I’m going to be devoured I think  a bit of privacy is in order.”

“I…uh… I never…” Sebastian blew out past his teeth, “I might be willing to consider it– and I have no idea why I’m saying that–but I’ve never… well, not with a man.”

“Never? Not even in the military?”

“I know people think it’s inevitable, but no.” Sebastian  sighed. “I’m pretty strictly interested in women– I think you pass well enough to confuse me.”

“Oh this is too much fun….” The throaty chuckle made him want to have her right up against the wall. “I’m extraordinary, darling… and gender is completely irrelevant, trust me.”

“Always seemed relevant to me,” Sebastian muttered, “I don’t even know what to call you?”

“Sonata, for now, and I assure you I adore people with stylish taste in clothes, wit, and incredible marksmanship– of whatever gender.”

Sonata  leaned in close and pressed up against his side, “Sebastian Moran… one of England’s top snipers, and they threw you under the bus when their little project got caught…”

Sebastian’s ears  caught the shift from faint and undefined accent to Irish, and from  a  woman’s voice, to a man’s: he looked down at the body pressed up against him– female, he would swear.

“How do you do that? You sound male , but…” he looked Sonata over again, “You don’t look like a drag queen either.”

“Anyone can look like they’re acting, Tiger; the trick is to be the role.  I look female because I move, and wear the clothes, as though its natural.” He couldn’t see Sonata smile behind the mask, but he could hear it. “I’m an extraordinary actor– it’s my best trick:  I can be anyone, anywhere; I can walk right by you and you’ll never notice me.”

Sebastian shivered faintly, there was something illicit, and threatening, and exciting in what Sonata said… and he had no doubt every word of it was true.

“So why did the Contessa want you to meet me?” he asked as they stepped into one of the luxurious bedrooms.

“Business and pleasure never mix, Tiger, and I have my eyes on a bit of pleasure…” Sonata purred up at him and he somehow found himself being walked backward until he fell onto the bed.  It was unnerving how easily Sonata took control.

“I’m not sure I’ll still be interested when the dress comes off…” Sebastian tried to sound calm but his mouth was dry and his pants were getting uncomfortably tight.

“I think…I need to be lying on a Tiger skin,” Sonata growled, in a voice entirely male and entirely commanding, “Strip, Colonel.”

 Sebastian slowly took off his jacket, and then his shirt, and put them aside.  Sonata took off her gloves and ran long manicured nails across his scars– he shivered.  Her? Hands were  indeterminate, not excessively masculine or feminine, but the nails were perfect ovals, and done in black and silver with sparkles set on a few of them.

“Continue…” Sonata hissed and stepped back to watch him.  the voice was unmistakably male now, but the dress, the nails…. Sebastian made an unhappy noise in the back of his throat.

“Confused?” Sonata  purred, back in a woman’s contralto, “I find a bit of uncertainty and danger adds to the spice, don’t you?”

“Never…” he had to  pause to take a breath, “Never  tried it before… its always just been some girl and–”

“Boring…” Sonata interrupted, “the word you are looking for is BORING, Tiger.” She purred in a voice that went straight to Sebastian’s cock…and then her voice shifted back to male, “I just want to eat you with cream…”

Sebastian wasn’t interested in men, and wasn’t used to being ordered around– his liaisons had been with him in charge since he was a young lad– he shouldn’t find this sexy at all, but…no one had told his libido.

“Oh, absolutely with cream…” Sonata sighed happily as the last of his clothes joined their fellows on the chair by the bed.

Sebastian took off his mask hesitantly. “So… now what? Like I said, I’ve never–” he cut off suddenly as Sonata moved forward and pushed him back on to the bed.

“Now you keep your hands on the bed and don’t mess up my wig,” Sonata laughed and dropped to her knees, taking off her mask as her head went down.

Sebastian caught a brief glimpse the top of Sonata’s face before his view was blocked by the masses of jet black curls and silver combs– wig, Sebastian tried to remind himself, it’s a wig– and then a very practiced mouth on his cock stole his breath entirely.

At some point he brought his hands up without thinking: no sooner had his hands touched hair than there was a growl around a very sensitive part of his anatomy and the distinct sensation of teeth… Sebastian froze.

He pulled his hands back and Sonata pulled off long enough to  say, “DON’T mess up my wig.”

“R-Right.” Sebastian managed to say and then he cut off with a groan as Sonata–He, She, whatever!– resumed.

Eventually Sebastian had his hands dug into the bed and was pleading to be allowed to come.

“Mmmm…?”

“Please!” Sebastian almost didn’t recognize his own voice, hoarse and desperate.

Sonata chuckled around a mouthful of him and picked up the pace.

Sebastian came with a moan, hands twisted into the sheets, and Sonata swallowed it all and pulled away…

When Sebastian could focus he was looking down into a definitely masculine face.  Oh, a bit boyish, perhaps, but not at all feminine.

Sonata grinned wickedly up at him and licked his lips, “Girls… are over -rated.”

Sebastian stared down into the man’s face– from this angle he couldn’t fool himself– and tried to figure out why he didn’t feel repulsed, or turned off, or ashamed… He tried to say something about how this was a mistake, but what came out of his mouth was:

“Whatever you say…”

 


	2. morning after

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mild TW for drunk sex (last chapter), consent issues, and morning after memory issues

Apparently Sonata had arranged to stay the night in advance–which put them in a very rarified company, as most of the Contessa’s guests stayed in hotels–and this was their room.

“Lie there and be decorative, darling,” Sonata laughed. “I have to get this wig off and it’s quite a production.”

Sebastian lay on the bed, watching as layers of feminine illusion stripped away. Absent the wig, and the dress, Sebastian still found… _his? her?_ …body language convincingly feminine…

“So… Uh…”

“Make yourself useful, Tiger, and loosen the corset ties?” Sonata walked over and turned: there were bootlaces holding the undergarment in place.

“That’s a REAL corset?” Sebastian marveled a bit: he’d seen them in photos. “I thought… I thought you couldn’t breathe in those?” _Or bend, or give blow jobs…_

Sonata snickered, “A properly fitted corset is a wonderful thing–this one was made for me–a poorly fitted one doesn’t bear mentioning. It’s like any piece of professional equipment, Sebastian–may I call you Sebastian?”

He started loosening the ties as if they were the boot laces they resembled. “After that blow job? I would hope we were on a first name basis…”

Sonata started wriggling and twisting slightly as the laces came loose. “Ohhhh, its wonderful support, but I don’t really have the waist for it.” There were snapping noises as the front was unclasped in some fashion, and when the corset was put on the bureau the last illusion of feminine shape went with it.

“Looking at you now, it’s hard to believe you were so convincing as a woman…” Sebastian hesitated. “Like I was trying to ask, um… you… are a guy? I mean…”

Sonata cocked his head thoughtfully at that and then laughed, “I’m male–I use ‘he’ and ‘him’–I just happen to be a very good actor, and I enjoy coming to these parties anonymously.” He smirked and pushed Sebastian back down onto the bed. “People say far more interesting things to a mysterious woman…”

Sebastian opened his mouth to apologize, to tell him the interest had left with the disguise, and then Sonata scraped her nails across the back of his head and kissed him.

His body clearly hadn’t gotten the memo.

When Sebastian managed to come up for air, he had his arms wrapped around the man, who was dragging his–long, perfectly manicured–nails down Sebastian’s back.

“Girls…” Sonata chuckled in a distracting fashion, and then leaned down and bit his shoulder.

Sebastian hadn’t known he had a kink for being bitten until that moment; he moaned.

Sonata lay his head down on Sebastian’s shoulder. “I did, in fact, have a trifle too much drink–and it’s been a very long day.”

“I was supposed to be making business contacts,” Sebastian sighed. _Well, I can hope I get a second invite._

“Mmm… Well, you made the best one: me. The Contessa had told me about you. We’ll talk business over breakfast.”

“I’m not staying here?”

“I am, you are now.”

“I don’t have any clothes…”

“I’ll send someone to your hotel.”

Sebastian lay there tangled up with a strange man, turned on, frustrated, tired, and very confused. “I don’t even know what to call you?”

“Jim. Now shush and get to sleep.”

Sebastian fell asleep–long years of military habits proving their value–even with a strange person in bed with him. He woke up abruptly and with a moment of panic when the other person moved.

“Wha?” Sebastian reached for his knife– _not there?–_ and looked in confusion at the man slowly waking up next to him.

“Oh, fuck me, how much did I DRINK?” muttered the man. _Jim, his name was Jim._

“I have no idea, but … uh…”

Jim stared at him and then got up without a word and went into the bathroom. Sebastian heard water, and then after a bit a shower… He hesitantly walked in.

“I need the toilet?”

Sebastian heard a grumbled assent and used the facilities, and then washed his face. He was standing up from that–sinks were always too low–when the shower stopped.

“Hand me a towel, will you?”

Sebastian did and realized there was a bathrobe; he put it on and went back into the bedroom.

Jim came out without the towel; the nails were gone, Sebastian noticed.

“So… uh…” Jim looked a bit uncomfortable, then got into the dresser and started pulling out clothes. “This is going to sound awkward…”

“Well, it’s new being on THIS side of it…” sighed Sebastian. “How much do you remember? If I had known you were really drunk I would…” He paused. “Actually. I don’t think I could have done anything different–you rather took over.”

Jim put a hand over his face. “Gah… Yeah, that sounds like me: I get aggressive.” He muttered, “She double-dosed my drinks, I swear.”

“You just sort of appeared at my elbow and started flirting; took me a bit to realize you weren’t a girl… um… then you said a bunch about gender being irrelevant.” Sebastian sighed, “You also knew who I was, said the Contessa had mentioned me, and… um…”

Jim finished pulling on expensive casual clothes. “Well, at least I have good taste in drunken pickups… Were you dressed as a tiger?”

“Rakshasha…”

“It will come back to me, eventually… it always does.” Jim’s eyes raked over him. “Not getting dressed?”

“All I have is my costume, I wasn’t planning to stay… and you said something about sending to my hotel…”

“Of course I did,” Jim sighed. He pulled the phone out of a cabinet and dialed a single digit as though it was a hotel. “Ah, good morning… I need someone to go fetch my companion’s things from his hotel…” Jim frowned. “You… have…” He pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, “I’m going to poison her…” then continued in a more normal voice, “Yes, thank you, and breakfast would be lovely.”

He turned and looked thoughtfully at Sebastian. Sebastian began to feel even more uncomfortable.

“You know, this entire thing has been–”

“You’re Sebastian Moran! Oh, Gawd…” He sagged into the chair. “So much for a polite business arrangement.”

“I… tried to ask you why you knew so much about me and you said you never mixed business and pleasure… and um… then you ordered me to strip–still don’t know why I did.” Sebastian muttered the last part.

A return to the purring edge hit Jim’s voice. “Well, I always did like a man who knows how to follow orders…”

“I’m used to giving them, in both senses of the word–and as I said, I never… I never did anything with a man before.”

Jim stared at him again and then pulled open a drawer and got out two bottles of electrolyte and tossed one to Sebastian, a faint smile started playing over his face. “Never?” He sipped from the bottle.

“No.” Sebastian decided to drink his electrolytes and shut up.

Jim put his bottle down, tilted his head and smiled, and suddenly–very unsettlingly–it was Sonata again. “How… intriguing….”

“Uh…” Sebastian was saved from answering by a brisk knock on the door, which Jim answered.

“Thank you, just set it up near the bed. Poor English boy is shy, I think.”

Sebastian pulled the bathrobe and sheets around him a bit more as servants came in, dropped off his luggage, and set up two tables of breakfast. He didn’t say anything until they left.

“So does EVERYONE know I spent the night with you?”

“Well, the Contessa does; of course, she monitors all of her guests–wouldn’t do to have someone wander off spying or get killed.”

“Ah… right.” Sebastian sighed, “I probably blew my chances at a return invite…”

“I think I blew you, if my memory is any indication,” Jim said; Sebastian sputtered. “But why would… ah, yes, this was your first party.”

“It took me months to get an invite. I was rather counting on getting some work out of it.”

“As I said, I don’t mix business and pleasure.”

“I know.”

“Usually.”

Sebastian looked dubiously at him and speared a sausage on his fork. “I’m a sniper…”

“One of the best,” Jim nodded. “That’s what I was going to talk to you about on business.”

“Even though… uh…”

“However, as it happens, I do need a bodyguard. You see, very few people these days have seen me up close and personally–I don’t like people recognizing me, hence the masquerade.”

“…but there are people who you DID deal with personally before, so you aren’t completely anonymous–hence the masquerade?”

“Exactly.” Jim pushed his table aside and sauntered over to Sebastian. “So… how about we try that again with me sober?”

Sebastian sighed, “I don’t want to get a job because I slept with the boss–and I don’t believe I’m saying that.”

“As if I would hire someone to be close enough to stab me just for sex!” He went back to his chair and sat down. “The Contessa wanted us to meet because of your reputation as a sniper: I’m hiring.” He cocked his head that way again. “I just admit the potential personal benefits are more intriguing than usual.”

“Because I haven’t been with a man?”

“Well, that too. I meant because you take orders surprisingly well: a lot of people who control everything in their business like to sub a bit in bed–it’s practically a trope.”

“I’ve never done THAT either…”

Jim’s eyes practically glittered, and a cruel and sexy smile stole over his face. Sebastian once again wondered what was WRONG with him that he was interested. “Oh, Tiger… Eat your breakfast and build up your strength a bit. Let me introduce you to a whole new WORLD…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Sebastian honestly believed Jim was only mildly tipsy at the worst)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> negotiations, part 1

Sebastian ate breakfast–it was excellent–and got dressed. Everything was in his bags, even stuff they shouldn’t have been able to find casually.

Jim kept watching him with this oddly predatory look.

“I feel like you’re about to pour sauce on me or something,” Sebastian grumbled.

“The Contessa is an excellent judge of character,” Jim said thoughtfully, “and she was absolutely right that I would want to meet you.”

“You said you needed a sniper…”

“I do–but I also need a bodyguard, as I said. Unfortunately, my face has become a bit recognizable, and in order to continue my business I have to be FAR more anonymous…” He smiled. “You have no idea who I am, do you?”

“No…?”

Jim laughed, “I suppose you didn’t pay much attention to news from home when you were off shooting people for Britain.”

“Half the time we were in a secure lockdown,” Sebastian admitted. “The rest? Well… I only have a few family members–and only one I care to talk to–I probably heard more news out of the Middle East than back home.”

“I have no idea whether to be insulted or pleased.” Jim shrugged. “Anyway, I officially died several months back, and the Contessa has been kind enough to help me get my life put back together,” Sebastian saw a brief flash of a rather dangerous-looking grin before he continued, “for a price, of course.”

“So… you’re officially dead,” Sebastian saw the problem immediately, “but your old identity was public enough that you think I would recognize you?” He blew out a breath softly and sipped his tea. “Yeah, that would be a problem.”

“I need someone to be the public interface where I can’t be seen.” Jim sat back with his tea. “Honestly, I would suspect the Contessa slipped something in my drink, except she wouldn’t bother. I shouldn’t have given you my old name.”

“Well, if I was working for you like that? I’d need to know,” Sebastian nodded firmly, “and you’d need to know up front if I had any prior opinions of you–which I don’t, as far as I know.”

“True… I always did like someone who could react well to a change in circumstances.” Jim got a distinctly predatory look. “Like your reaction when Britain threw you to the curb: most men would have floundered; you set right about building a new life.”

“I had no choice.” Sebastian cleared the remains of food away and looked steadily at the man. “Going back to my father isn’t an option, and… there are a few of my old comrades-in-arms I could go to for help, but… honestly, I don’t know where most of them ended up–or even if they’re alive–and I would just draw trouble to them. You need to understand one thing, Sir: I’m loyal to those who are loyal to me.”

“It’s a very valuable trait, Tiger.” He looked at him thoughtfully. “Do you think it’s a problem? And call me Jim when we’re in a bedroom: given how we met, it only seems fair.”

Sebastian stuck doggedly to the topic. “My higher-ups in the military, in intelligence, the government, tossed me aside–as you said, ‘Fuck that lot’.”

Jim nodded. “But?”

“The men I served with? For that matter, most of the soldiers–but especially the men I served with–not only won’t I touch them, if anyone tries I’ll stop them.” He paused. “Well, most of them–a few of them weren’t worth the loyalty.”

“As it happens, I can’t go back into England except with extreme caution: I annoyed a rather secretive head of intelligence,” he sipped the last of his tea, “possibly the same one who ordered your project buried–who knows?”

Sebastian brightened up. “Can I shoot him?”

“So… eager…” Jim made it sound lewd. “But no–or not yet,” he allowed, and then continued, “I’m busy building a new identity as the man who inherited my business, and I’ll need a new man as my… chief of staff, bodyguard, killer… The Contessa is annoying as–anyway, she is extremely annoying, but her judgement of people is incredible: she was right, you’re perfect.”

“Like I said, I’m loyal to people who are loyal to me.”

“My previous top snipers think I’m dead, but they know someone inherited–and that he was trained by me, so he’s a lot like me in habits.” Jim smiled. “I’ve been loyal to them; I even let one of them retire.”

“Unusual.”

“She was… valuable, but her work was becoming increasingly erratic. She wanted to retire; I helped her set up a new identity. Once she concluded her last task?” He gestured with his hands, “Poof, gone.”

Sebastian nodded. “I’m… This would be my first long-term hire–not just a simple kill–and it’s a bit odd.”

“More so given how we met, I would expect.”

“Yeah.”

“Sex would be a lovely benefit, but… to be honest, your value as a loyal killer is better.”

“If… Like I said, I never…” He dragged a hand through his hair–it was getting too long. “I’m… If we try this, and I decide I don’t want to?”

“Sex?” Jim smirked. “I have yet to have to force anyone into my bed… Well… Not when they didn’t enjoy it.”

Sebastian coughed. “You’re a bit hard to say ‘no’ to, even when you’re not my boss.”

“I can’t help that; I’m hard to resist…”

“True… but… Look, what if… What if I don’t want to?” Sebastian straightened his back a bit. “Might as well get this settled.”

“Then we sit down and decide if you can still work directly for me, or not. If you can? Fine; fair warning, I flirt at everyone, even if there is NOTHING between us. If you can’t? I could still use someone to handle my business at a bit of a remove; you’d only deal with me a few times a year.” He sighed. “Seriously, I make lewd comments and innuendos all the time: it throws people off.”

“I bet it would.”

“Honestly? At least in my old identity… half the people I dealt with were convinced I slept with all my top people and the other half didn’t think I slept with ANY of them–I made the same comments about all my staff, after all.”

“Didn’t they mind?”

“If they couldn’t ignore it, or they minded, they didn’t work at close range.” Jim sighed. “It’s just how I am. But I take ‘no’ for an answer… just… not in front of the marks.”

“Marks?”

“Targets? People I’m dealing with? Clients?”

Sebastian nodded slowly.

“My new identity will have to be different… so I’m toning down the innuendo.”

“Too much like your old habits.”

“Yes.” Jim smiled. “So, starting salary…”

“Yes?”

“First of all, you can CHOOSE to have your own place, but you won’t see it much. I have property around the world, and contacts in a lot of hotels. You have no need to waste your money on a place to stay, since it’s provided.”

Sebastian nodded. “So… like military life.”

“Well, far more luxurious, usually, but yes. Your expenses will be low: I pay for most of it.”

“Which makes my pay go further,” he nodded. “It’s still a high risk job.”

“Very,” Jim nodded. “I won’t lie: you not only have killing people to worry about, but a lot of people are gunning for me–or for my information and my business–from both sides of the law. If Mycroft ever found out I was alive? Well, we’d have him on my ass again,” Jim laughed, “and he’s not my type.”

“Mycroft?” Sebastian had never heard that name. “Odd name.”

“Odd family.” He shrugged. “Fun, smart, I loved playing with them, but… Mycroft’s the older brother–he’s in intelligence–and he has NO sense of humor.”

“What did you do? Sleep with his sister?”

“Brother, and… it was a bit more complicated than that. Well?”

“I… think I could manage, but… honestly, I don’t know if sex is going to work out.”

“The Contessa has a rather fully stocked playroom… if you would like to spend the weekend finding out?”

“What happens after the weekend?”

“I have my second round of plastic surgery. The Contessa’s people are fabulous.”

“I… thought she was just an elderly socialite whose parties were good contacts?”

“She IS an elderly socialite whose parties are contact points–‘just’ doesn’t enter into it.” Jim stood up and stretched. “Take off the clothes you don’t need, get a bathrobe, and I’ll take you downstairs.”

It wasn’t until he was following after the man that he realized he’d accepted the job… and he still didn’t know what his salary was.

~

“Ma’am?” the young man said as he stopped in the doorway.

“Yes, dear?” The Contessa didn’t open her eyes. She was lying on a chaise lounge having her nails done.

“James requested the playroom for the day, and is heading down with the Colonel.”

“I knew it would work out,” she said happily. “Activate all the cameras and get me some champagne.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit short, but i needed to get back into this one...  
> Kink Negotiation and safewords

Sebastian walked into the ‘playroom’ and stopped.  It certainly didn’t look like a dungeon–he’d seen those– but it certainly didn’t look comfortable.

“I REALLY don’t think this is my thing…”

“It’s a playroom, it has everything,” Jim smirked at him, “That doesn’t mean you have to use it all.”

“There is a wall rack of whips!”

“Flogs.” Jim said calmly, “and it helps set the mood–for some people.”

Sebastian started looking back toward the door and suddenly a hand was on his chest, “Tiger… you didn’t think you were interested in men at all, right?”

He paused, “…right…”

“And I’ve been fantastic so far, right?”

A slightly longer pause, “…right…”

Jim gave him a completely wicked look, “Trust me.”

“I get the impression that would be a very bad idea.”

“All that and brains too…” Jim said quietly and then dragged his nails down Sebastian’s chest.  Without Sonata’s fake nails they were oddly sharper and welts followed his hand. 

Sebastian REALLY didn’t think he should like this… “Uh… I don’t… could we go back to blow jobs? That was nice…”

“Do you understand safewords, Colonel?”

“I’ve heard of them… it’s like a code...”

“For right now we’ll use colors: green is everything is good, yellow means slow down or pause–give me some time to adjust– and red means stop now.” He cocked his head at Sebastian, “Got it?”

“Yes… but I really…”

Jim shook his head, “I need you to understand something: from now on, until you leave this room, NOTHING you say except ‘red’, or ‘yellow’ actually means anything like ‘no’ to me.”

“I think I need more explanation.”

“It’s… a sort of freedom, Sebastian… you can scream, you can cry, you can tell me you’re straight and you don’t enjoy this and you don’t WANT it…” Jim smiled wickedly and Sebastian’s cock twitched for some reason. “and you can do all of that and know that I’ll keep going, because you really do want it–you just can’t admit it.”

“… and if I don’t? don’t want it?”

“Yellow for give me a minute, or pause, or…maybe that’s a bit much for me right now: red for full stop.” Jim pulled him over to a large matt on the floor.

“So… it’s… a bit like anti interrogation training, I guess?” Sebastian asked, trying to feel his way through this.

Jim stopped dead in his tracks and stared at him; then he started to giggle. “That’s a novel way to put it.  Of course the idea is that you actually enjoy it, not just endure it.”

Jim continued, “Every now and then I may ask you how you are doing, and if I ask you for a color, I need to hear green– or yellow if you need a minute.”  He walked up to him and pulled him down into a scorching kiss.

The hand in his hair tightened and pulled as Jim pulled away from the kiss. “On your KNEES, Colonel.” Jim growled.

Sebastian was on his knees before he processed what had happened, and then he started to struggle back up.

Jim’s voice turned soft, and his hand in his hair turned soothing, “stay down, Tiger.” He tilted Sebastian’s head up, and kissed him again gently… it was odd, Jim being taller in this position… Sebastian’s head being held back was giving him a bit of a rush…

“What the HELL did you do to me?”  He whispered.

“Nothing… except give you someone to take charge.  Someone who will take care of you, and take care of all that nonsense that the military took care of.” he slid his hand down Sebastian’s cheek. “ with considerably more personal benefits. All you have to do is keep me safe, and kill people–everything else will be taken care of…”

He was so very close and Sebastian wanted to… wanted to do things… “I Don’t LIKE this…”

“Yes you do, you just don’t like that you like it.”

“…what?”

“You don’t picture yourself being the type of person to submit, so it bothers you…” Jim walked around behind him and pushed on his shoulders, “hands on the matt, stay on your knees.”

Sebastian did and then started to get back up, taking his hands off the matt.  Jim’s hand slid around his throat and pulled him back against himself–Sebastian could feel Jim’s erection…

 _Oh god I ‘m so hard…_ “Did you drug me? Was there something in the tea?” _what is WRONG with me?_

“I’ve never needed to drug someone for sex, Sebastian…” Jim’s voice and the hand on his throat was doing things to him. “Lie down on your back…”

Sebastian thought that sounded a hell of a lot better than being on his knees, so he did. “I don’t think this is working out for me–” and then he shut up because Jim was on his knees between Sebastian’s legs. 

_No, that blow job wasn’t a fluke… shit._

Jim teased and worked and kept the man from coming while Sebastian moaned and dug his hands into the matt. In all honesty he didn’t really react to the first finger gently breaching him.  It wasn’t until Jim had his finger almost where he wanted to go that Sebastian reacted.

“What? Hey! I don’t!” Sebastian finally processed the sensation–it had been overwhelmed by the sensation of mouth and tongue– and as he was trying to pull away there was a sudden jolt… “What… what was that…?”

“If men weren’t meant to be fucked, they wouldn’t have such a lovely little spot…” Jim licked him at the same time as his finger brushed the man’s prostate again.

Sebastian came hard and collapsed back on the matt with his eyes wide.  Jim withdrew his finger and stroked him through the final twitches of his orgasm.

“You know… I never thought virgins were worth the time before,” Jim said with a smirk, “but I begin to see the appeal…”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NOT a good example of kink negotiations, but... Sebastian never used a safe word.

Sebastian was lying on a mat, trying to get his body to stop… ringing.

“You really haven’t had any outlets since the military threw you out, have you?” Jim said quietly, crawling over him on hands and knees until he was staring down at him, looking him in the eyes.

“Outlets?”

“For that oh so delicious submissive streak…”

“I’m hardly submissive! I was a Colonel and–” Jim’s fingers tangled in his hair and pulled slightly and he shut up.

“You… desperately need the outlet of giving up control.  That doesn’t mean you never want control, it just means you need a break…” Jim smiled down at him rather cruelly, and Sebastian could see how the set of the smile and the jaw could be female…

“Wouldn’t I know that?” Sebastian managed to say, “I’ve always been the one in charge…”

“But you’ve had the steadying influence of the military.” Jim tugged briefly on his hair–which was definitely getting too long– “you had someone putting a leash on your behavior, on your time, on where you could go and what you could do… it was probably enough.”

“You think this… is a...” Sebastian frowned, “a reaction? To losing the military structure?”

“Such a very clever tiger…” Jim leaned down and kissed him– still holding his head still with his fingers twisted in Sebastian’s hair.

Jim lowered his body until he was sprawled full length on top of him, kissing him. Sebastian slowly brought his arms up around Jim and he was panting into the kiss. Jim moved down the man’s neck and started to nip as he held him in place by his hair.

“You… are going to keep some part of your hair long enough for me to do this…”

“Yes, sir…” Sebastian answered without a pause and then… shivered.  _I just agreed, didn’t even think about it, it was just… God, am I really that desperate for orders?  I never …_ “I was never exactly the docile sort in the military," he managed to gasp out, “I don’t know where this is coming from…”

“You were adrift, you didn’t have structure, you didn’t have direction… but you still managed to pick up the pieces and make a new life–that’s remarkable.” Jim breathed into his neck and then bit and licked along his collarbone, “but you’ve had to do it all by yourself… there’s only so long someone can be strong without a break, Sebastian.”

“Why would you want someone who is this… pathetic?”

Jim did something wonderful with his teeth and his tongue to Sebastian’s nipple. “If you were pathetic I wouldn’t want you– you’re glorious. My Tiger.” He said it with a possessive tone that sang along Sebastian’s nerves.

“No one ever…” Sebastian whispered and then choked off because his voice shook…

“You were held captive…” Jim murmured as he lazily played with Sebastian’s nipple with one hand–his other still lightly tangled in his hair. “But you managed to escape…”

“I lost two of my men,” he admitted bitterly.

“That’s when they put you into their little project… they must have thought you would like the vengeance…”

“I did.”

“I’m certain you did, Tiger… but they weren’t worth you… if they were worth you they would have given you comfort as well as violence, and wouldn’t have abandoned you to take the blame when they got caught.”

“You’ll do the same.”

“No.” Jim moved back up and kissed him, and held his lip in his surprisingly sharp teeth. “No.  I order you and control you, but I reward you and comfort you as well. If you were captured, and they had any evidence, then you go along quietly and wait… because I won’t leave you.  Never that, darling.”

“You barely know me.”

“I don’t abandon my people–mind you I don’t take betrayal lightly at all– but I don’t abandon my people, it’s why they are so loyal–the ones who know who they work for, anyway, and that’s so very few people.” Jim smiled down at him, “I’ll take that burden, Tiger.  I’ll tell you what to do, and who to kill and I’ll be your whole world…”

Sebastian wanted to believe him… and then he found himself thinking _… how desperate am I for someone? For someone who…will tell me… oh God…_ “How did I not know this?”

“Know what?” Jim tilted his head.

“That… that you saying that makes me want to fall at your feet… what’s WRONG with me?”

“Absolutely nothing.” Jim smiled down at him like he was going to eat him with cream.

Sebastian reached out and grabbed Jim’s wrists, “I could break you in half…”

Jim looked momentarily startled and then smirked, “You could…but you’d regret it.”

Sebastian rolled them over, still pinning Jim’s hands over his head, “Why?”

“Well, among other reasons, if you annoy me I won’t give you another blowjob.” Jim laughed.  He didn’t seem at all worried.

“That… is a reasonably powerful threat, admittedly…” Sebastian narrowed his eyes, “But like I said, I’m usually on top… eventually this–whatever it is–is going to wear off and–”

“I doubt it will wear off, Tiger,” Jim shrugged expressively, “But I’m not adverse to you taking a more aggressive role…”he looked thoughtfully up at him, “But only if you ask, and only if I agree.”

“And if I wanted to now?”

“I would say no…” Jim paused and Sebastian found himself growling and flexing his fingers on the man’s wrists.

“I would say no because by your own statement you have never been with a man, Sebastian.” Jim said gently.

“…what?”

“Do you have the slightest idea of how to prepare me–or yourself for that matter– for penetration, Tiger?”

The realization suddenly hit him and he laughed, “I assume it’s the same as it is for a woman… Sonata:  I’ve had anal with girls.”

Jim suddenly looked a good bit more interested, “Ah? Silly me,” he smiled, “Most straight men–the ones who haven’t even experimented– don’t know what’s involved…”

“The only thing I don’t know is where the lube is.  I assume there is some.”

“Then you let me up…” Jim looked at him thoughtfully, “and then you ASK… because I might allow it, but you…are not in charge.”

“You are…” Sebastian censored himself quickly, “very sure of yourself.”

“Mmmm-Hmmm.” Jim wiggled his fingers and waited.

Sebastian let go of his wrists, and winced slightly–he hadn’t realized how hard he was holding the man, he could see where he was likely to bruise.  He got up: Jim got up.

“So, Sebastian… why should I let you?  Or let you fuck me before I’ve done more than finger you anyway.”

“Because I asked?”

“Except you didn’t.”

Sebastian nodded slowly, “Because you keep pushing me and at some point I was going to push back?”

“Closer to the truth.” Jim smiled and the smile widened, “You’ve had two blowjobs from me, Tiger…so here’s your answer: You give me one, and get me off, and then you can top…”

Sebastian froze.

“Don’t you think that’s fair?” Jim asked and his voice was amused and dark.

“I…”

“I think it’s fair.”

Sebastian closed his eyes, “Yes it would be, except I have no idea how…”

“Well you’ve had two chances to study… so, let’s try this:  I’m going to fuck you: top, penetrate, however you want to call it…and then once we’ve both recovered I’ll teach you how to give a blowjob.  I’m not a difficult man to please, Sebastian… it shouldn’t take you too long to earn what you’re asking for.”

Sebastian tried to find an objection, but even in his own mind it was… well, it was fair, and he hadn’t asked, and…somehow it all seemed very, very, reasonable.

“Do you always do that?” Sebastian asked him as he watched him get the supplies out.

“Do what?”

“Take over the circumstances and make everything sound perfectly reasonable?”

“Yes.” Jim answered…And Sebastian could HEAR the smirk in his voice.

“Wonderful…”

Jim looked up at him and his voice dropped back down into a lower pitch, “You have such a need to be commanded, and yet such a lack of experience… I wonder if it’s simply that most of the men you knew were fools…”

“I never was WITH any men! I told you that…”

“Their loss, my gain.” And then that wicked smile and Jim reached up and pulled him down into a kiss. “Definitely leave a bit of long hair…” he said when he finally stopped.

“I… can see a bit of incentive for it…” Sebastian once again had the twin sensations of wanting to put him down and wanting to follow his orders–or suggestions.

“Now given that you tend to be a bit… grabby…” Jim said raising a hand and flexing it while he looked at his wrist–yeah that was going to bruise a bit– “I think some restraints are in order.”

 _Oh no… uh-uh._   “I don’t think–”

“But seeing how you have a history with that… I think some soft leather and a proper bed to start…”

“Why do you think I’m going to go along with this?” Sebastian asked as he followed him over to a covered piece of furniture.

“Yellow? Or red?” Jim uncovered what looked like a small bed with very solid posts… and rings…

“Uh, no…why would I let you restrain me?”

“Because it’s fun, and I don’t want you to break my wrists.” Jim got out a pair of leather cuffs… they looked solid but not like anything you’d actually use on a prisoner.

“Oh… those don’t look…” _like what I was in…_

“Hmm? Ah… no, they’re quite comfortable–and they have enough support to let you tug or pull without damage.”  Jim walked up and held one out. “This gets put on, and I’ll attach your wrists to the corner posts there…but seeing as this is your first time, we’ll just use carbineer clips–no locks.  If you say yellow I’ll back off, and if you say red I’ll stop.”

“I’m not submissive, really…” he eyed the cuffs warily, “And being restrained has some really bad memories.”

Jim tilted his head and considered, “How about if you wear the cuffs, but we don’t attach them to anything… and you just hold onto a rope?”

“Why?”

“My wrists hurt, that’s why.”

Sebastian felt horrible about that and agreed to try to hold onto something– “but no cuffs.”

It was only when he was lying in the bed, holding onto a soft smooth rope, with a very predatory Jim looking him over like he was a beef course on the menu that he realized…

“You utter bastard…”

Jim had reached down to stroke expertly at Sebastian’s dick… which definitely appreciated the attention… “Oh?”

“You distracted me with all the talk about restraints and got me to agree to the rest of it.”

“Yes?” Jim leaned over and bit gently at Sebastian’s jaw, “You want to… you just had to argue about something…”

“What makes you think I want to!”

Jim smirked and his hand sped up–which derailed a lot of discussion. Every time Sebastian let go of the rope Jim stopped and asked him for a color.

“Bastard!” Sebastian was panting.

“Not a safe word.”

“Green…” Sebastian grudgingly admitted and then had to take hold of the rope again because Jim wouldn’t do a thing until he did.

Eventually he was begging the man to stop teasing…

“Why CERTAINLY, Tiger… all you had to do was ask…”

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> explanations, negotiation, and... honestly Sebastian had a very homophobic upbringing, but he's working on it.

Sebastian  had a moment of panic when Jim started doing things with his fingers again, and then more than his fingers… he opened his mouth to say red, but what came out was “Yellow?” and it didn’t sound very convincing.

Jim slowed and started lazily playing his hands over Sebastian’s hip. “Of course… take a deep breath, and let it out… you KNOW I made it feel good last time…”

“Last time… was a finger…” Sebastian panted.

“Inhale… come on… deep breath…” Jim purred at him and stroked his cock again.  He managed a shaky inhale.

“Exhale… now do it again, only this time focus on relaxing…”  Jim’s voice was confident and steady so Sebastian did… it was so easy to follow his orders… especially when one hand was… really nicely… doing things… it took a few breaths to realize his other hand had been busy as well…

“Green?” Jim asked him when he was almost back to begging to come.

“Green… blue! Whatever the fuck color will get you to…”

Jim laughed and then there was an uncomfortable feeling that somehow transformed into something … pleasant? Comfortable? It was still strange… he only realized he’d closed his eyes and moaned when Jim leaned forward and bit at his jawline.

He was… full, in a way that felt very odd and a bit wrong, but didn’t hurt exactly… but as Jim moved it began to feel… good…

Very good, really…

And then suddenly he could breathe and he relaxed a bit more and then? Then it felt wonderful.

Still really odd though.

“Can… can I let go?”

“Decided you won’t break me in half?” Jim’s hands were dragging fire over his nerves somehow… but it felt good.

“Please?”

“You can let go of the rope…” Jim said and Sebastian  had to work to unlock his hands, but then he could bring his arms up over Jim’s shoulders… there was no fooling himself that this was any woman he had ever been with, even just the shape under his arms.  He opened his eyes and looked up into dark eyes…

Jim thrust into him and his vision whited out for a moment, sparks behind his eyelids to match the sparks along his nerves…

“I am going to utterly ruin you for anyone else…” Jim was laughing and Sebastian could tell… he was… he already had…

Jim pressed his wrists down into the bed just before he came. When his breathing evened out and he could focus again he saw Jim looking down at him.

“You… Sebastian, if you weren’t such an utterly brilliant sniper I’d be tempted to just keep you in my bed…”

Sebastian couldn’t possibly think of anything to say.  Eventually Jim lowered himself until he was lying against Sebastian’s chest and he brought a hand up to comb through Sebastian’s hair. “The look on your face…” Jim smiled, but it was a bit gentler a look, “It gets better, Tiger: sex is a skill and an art, and when you get more comfortable, and more relaxed… and truthfully more familiar with your partner, it gets better.”

“That… is very nearly a threat…” he finally managed to say.

Jim just snickered, “Perhaps I’ve been using the wrong threats with people, hmm?”

“Tell them you’ll never do that again, or you will and it will get better…” Sebastian managed to stammer out, “While they’re trying to decide which one is worse–or less bearable anyway– you could probably do anything…”

Jim stared down at him and started making strangled laughing noises… eventually he collapsed onto him cackling… “A _NOVEL_ form of threat… but I don’t think I could have built an international consulting syndicate that way.”

Sebastian couldn’t help but chuckle a bit–laughter was contagious– “Probably not.” 

“Was that really your first time?” Jim was trailing fingers down his chest, “All of this? Anything?”

“All of it… the closest I ever came to … well… you know, with a man? Was… sort of mutually jerking off? And that was in school…”

“All those rumors about the military led me astray I suppose…” Jim mused, “But… you seemed rather homophobic?  Not badly so…”

“…I was raised to be.” Sebastian admitted. “My father… Look I served with men who were gay, and a few men who  would probably not care what you had in your pants one way or another,and I got over being… well I don’t have a problem dealing with anyone like that anymore–although I did at first– but… well… it was…”

“Kind of a personal squick?”

“Yeah… if I think about it too much I still… but it felt… I don’t think I’m gay…” words seemed to be failing him.

“Given the attraction to me as Sonata and your past attraction to women–you were attracted I take it, and not just doing what was expected?”

“Yes.  I was never out of my head over sex… err... before… but I like women: I like the way they look and I like sex…”

“Then either you always had some bisexual leanings–and repressed them because of your upbringing– or you are straight and I just happen to hit your OTHER kinks.”

“Other kinks?”

“That lovely submissive streak, Colonel.” Jim chuckled and before Sebastian could protest Jim tugged his hair and leaned down and bit at his collar bone.

Sebastian found himself rolling his head back in response, and… _damn_.

“I really want to explore THAT a bit more, but I don’t want to push you too fast…”

“You already DID!” Sebastian protested and tried to sit up.

“I gave you safe words… you even used one…” Jim put a hand to his chest in an exaggerated fashion and looked oh-so-innocent.

“You… are a manipulative bastard.”

“True!” he said cheerfully.  “Now let’s go get some more food, and we can discuss duties–and NO sleeping with me is not part of your job description, I did say that… but I don’t plan on letting you out of my bed for a bit…”

“What… if I met a girl I wanted…”

Jim looked dubious, “Well I do have a bit of a jealous streak, but… still, fair’s fair… you should be allowed to find out for yourself that I’m better…” he nodded, rolled off of Sebastian, and sat up. “they have to have a security check first–I don’t mean a clearance like they’d need to work for me, but… just to make sure they aren’t a honey trap or planting bugs or anything… and of course safe sex.”

“Wait!  Safe… did we…?”

Jim snickered and pulled up a used condom, “You never even noticed? I’m flattered… “

Sebastian sagged a bit, “No, I didn’t… I mean… there are… I never even…”

“Let me guess: you just assume gay sex means STDs?”

“Doesn’t it?”

Jim rolled his eyes again, “I’m not going to blame you because you clearly never learned better, but,” he pulled Sebastian to his feet. “Shower, change, food–I’ll give you the basic lecture you should have gotten years ago while we’re on the way.”

While they got cleaned up Jim gave him a basic lecture on  STDs in general–most of which he knew– and that the reason  anal sex (whether with a man or woman) was higher risk was  small tears that allowed more blood transmission.

“So it’s not just…”

“No it’s not just automatically riskier with men.  It’s just as high risk having anal sex with a woman, and any direct semen or blood contact is a risk in any case–the tearing just puts it in direct contact with  what is essentially a wound: that’s why lubrication is so important.”  Jim paused, “And not all gay sex involves penetration, Sebastian: mutual hand jobs or oral are what a lot of men do…”

“Oh.  I guess… well there was what I heard growing up and the threats about prison…”

“I know…” Jim sounded a bit sad, “And people treat  it like a joke, and like it makes you lesser somehow–one of my female associates comments all the time about how any comparison to women is considered demeaning–if you ever meet her do NOT get her started she’ll go on for hours.”  He shrugged, “She’s not wrong.”

Sebastian finished getting dressed and cleared his throat, “This is casual–do I need to change for… lunch? Dinner?”

Jim turned him around and looked him over, “Utterly edible–I’ll have to fight the Contessa off of you!”

“I doubt it…” Sebastian was far more comfortable with them both dressed, although his nerves were still practically singing.

“She’d probably prefer you in nothing but a bathrobe, but you’re fine–the day after a party is always casual. In any event I should have asked before: since I’ve been having plastic surgery my blood tests were rather thorough; are yours up to date?”

“Haven’t had one since I left the military, but I haven’t done anything without a condom… uh... until that blow job of yours… since.” He sighed, “To be blunt I haven’t done much at all since the military–between my reputation being in tatters and being…upset.”

“I’m not running at my usual speeds, either, Sebastian; those were all questions I should have asked already…”

“Ditto, but you… seem to be good at turning off my sense of self-preservation.”

“Oh your sense of self-preservation is fine, Tiger… I may want to have my wicked way with you, but I don’t want to damage you.” Jim snickered and Sebastian felt simultaneously alarmed and turned on.

“Now you see, when you say things like that I have this urge to either throw you onto the bed or run.”

“See?! Your sense of self-preservation works just wonderfully!”  Jim smirked, “Speaking of which it’s high time we went to eat and I can properly introduce you to the Contessa.”

“I met her briefly? She said she liked my costume...”

“Well… her harmless disguise is a hundred times better than mine–so if you’re self-preservation instincts start screaming?  You’re not wrong…”

 


End file.
